Finding my Parents in Another World

Drisnen waited patiently in front of the Fritten Inn, watching children throw pebbles into the lake as he waited. He still couldn't believe he was here.

When his father mentioned that there was someone else who wanted to learn magik from the Witch in the Woods, Drisnen thought he was joking. His father had been dead serious however.

"Who the hell would do that? There's no another soul in this town who trusts her." He had said, still disbelieving.

His father had sighed. "He's not from this town. In fact as per Lumina, he is not even from this Kingdom. He had no idea about magik, and had a bad experience with one of the teachers in town, and thus wants to try his luck with the Witch instead." 

His father's tone made it clear that he disapproved heavily of this plan. Drisnen remembered how fiercely they had fought when he had started going to the Witch himself. 

"She's a blight on this town, and now she has fucking seduced you too?!" His father had shouted.

No matter how hard Drisnen explained that she was a teacher of magik on another level from the people in Temuril, his father would not be convinced. In the end however, his father relented, for Drisnen could also not be convinced to not go there. And now begrudgingly, his father accepts his daily lessons with the Witch.

And now I won't be the only one

 .XX.

Raorka stepped out of the inn, buzzing with excitement.

Finally I will be able to use Magik

Outside the inn, he saw a short, brown haired boy watching the children playing on the shore. Hearing Raorka, he looked over at him and smiled with a greeting.

"So you are Raorka? My father tells me you want to learn magik from the Witch?" He asked. His voice was friendly enough, but Raorka felt there was a hidden undertone to his question.

Are you really here to study magik under the Witch?

"Yeah. I am a complete beginner, and the teachers in this town are....." Raorka stuck his tongue out in contempt.

The boy laughed. "At least on that we can agree. I am Drisnen, hitherto the only student of the Witch. Happy to make your acquaintance, fellow student."

"Hopefully friends than acquaintances." Raorka said with a smile, and Drisnen started laughing. 

"Of course, only if you aren't too slow."

With that Drisnen indicated Raorka to follow him and then started running towards the Forest of Old Gotuj. Raorka was taken aback by his sudden movement, but he quickly regained composure and sprinted after him. The ground beneath his feet felt uneven, and the dense underbrush of the forest loomed ahead, casting long shadows as the trees stretched towards the sky, keeping the cursed dragon trapped.

"Why are we running?" Raorka asked as he caught up to Drisnen.

"Warming up before the training. Miss Artemis recommends it." Drisnen replied with a smirk.

"Miss Artemis?"

"Now now, you can't keep calling your teacher Witch of the Woods can you?"

Raorka laughed and kept up his speed. He had taken part in several marathons back on Earth, so he was quite happy with this opportunity to run and enjoy the gentle breeze cooling him.

After about thirty minutes of running, Raorka and Drisnen reached the base of the Forest of Old Gotuj. Raorka felt a sense of dena vu as he once more looked at the trees stretching up impossible high towards the sky. Today however there was no roar.

"Sounds like Old Gotuj is quiet today." He remarked.

Drisnen shrugged. "Most days are quiet. To be honest no one has ever seen Old Gotuj in person so we just assume he died when we don't hear him roar. But eh he always roars back after a few days."

Instead of entering the tall forest however, Drisnen took a snaking path just beside it. Raorka followed him, and they went around the forest some distance before Raorka spotted a small hut in the distance, with a river flowing in front of it.

This must be the same river from my first day

But this was much further along the course. Raorka traced the river as it snaked it's way across the land, across a plateau and into the distant mountains.

"The river Okye." Drisnen said when he noticed where Raorka was looking. "It is the longest river in Anusuril. It originates way over in Mt Gukiu and runs through the Forest of Old Gotuj and ends in the sea near Castin. Over half the breadth of the entire Kingdom, covered by a single river."

"And the hut over there belongs to the Wi-...to Miss Artemis?" Raorka corrected himself in time.

Drisnen smirked. "Make that mistake in front of her and you won't have time to correct the mistake. But yes you are indeed correct."

Drisnen walked forward to the river edge and jumped over the small gap between the two banks. Raorka followed and soon they were near the gate of the hut.

"Miss Artemis?" Drisnen called out cautiously, but there was no response.

"Miss Artemis?" Drisnen called out again and then lightly rapped on the door.

"Maybe she-"

"Shhhh"

Drisnen put a hand to his ear as if he was listening intently and then beckoned Raorka to follow him

"Don't be alarmed. She is this way."

Alarmed? Alarmed at what?

As Raorka turned the corner and looked at the back of the hut though he gave a startled cry and fell over backward.

In front of him was an extremely tall woman floating in midair with her eyes closed in concentration. She had what looked like a golden bandanna around her forehead, covering her ears. Her golden skin glistened in the afternoon sun, but they were overshadowed by the two large beams of light that seemed to be radiating out from her ears forming a circle around her floating body.

At Raorka's cry however, the woman opened her eyes, and the circle slowly dissipated. The woman gracefully stepped down and looked disappointedly at the two of them.

"I told thou drisnen, thou't bring friends" She said in a heavy accent that Raorka hadn't heard anywhere in the town.

Drisnen grinned. "Nothing like that, I have brought you your second student."

.XX.

"So thou hast no knowledge of magik at all?" The Witch Artemis asked incredously.

Raorka sighed. "For the fifth time, I really do not."

Artemis looked at him with interest and also, it seemed, a little suspicion. The Witch towered over Raorka, she must have been over two metres tall. When she sat down on a chair she was at eye level with the standing Raorka, but Drisnen was still lower.

"Hmmm interesting interesting. Thy land might not but hast been most backward for magik to be so lacking there."

In a way it probably was.

But outwardly Raorka said nothing. He was already having great difficulty completely understanding the words of Artemis.

She must have noticed that because she took out what looked like a leaf from the bandanna around her head and gave it to Raorka.

"This will help thou parse mine accent better." She said and indicated that Raorka to put the leaf on his ear.

Once he dubiously placed it, Artemis asked, "Better?"

Raorka nodded dumbfounded.

Seeing his confusion, Drisnen started laughing.

"I'm guessing this is your first experience with a magikal Artifact?" He said with another smirk.

Raorka nodded begrudgingly.

The Witch Artemis sighed. "I guess it'll really have to be from the very beginning for you."

Raorka felt excitement again. This time for sure he would learn the power bestowed upon him. Finally he felt like he was making progress.

Save us.

Don't worry, I will.